Otago Racing Club chief executive Andre Klein said 5890 turned up today, down on a record 10,000 strong crowd last year.
With dark clouds circling the racecourse like vultures, punters dressed to the nines were forced to race to the stands or the nearest marquee whenever the showers came in.
Like previous years, today was a mixture of glitz and glamour and drunken excess, with a few people struggling to stay on their feet by the day's end.
Clutha-Taieri area response manager Senior Sergeant Alastair Dickie said police were happy with behaviour overall, with only three arrests - two for disorderly behaviour and one for theft.
However, the levels of intoxication, particularly among females, was disappointing.
"It's not a pleasant site to see some of the girls in the states they get in.
"It's something we need to look at a wee bit closer, because really strictly speaking they shouldn't be getting into the complex in that state.''
